Annual Altrusa Festival of Trees scheduled for Dec. 4-6

MEREDITH — The 20th annual Festival of Trees, sponsored by Altrusa International of Meredith, will once again turn Waukewan Golf Club's Barn into a winter wonderland. The magic will happen on the weekend of Dec 4 to 6.

The traditional holiday delight will take place with the help of approximately 50 area families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations who decorate fabulous trees to delight visitors to the festival. Trees might be elegant, whimsical, traditional, or decorated with handcrafted ornaments, but all will be awe inspiring. Past themes have included A Partridge in a Pear Tree, A Frozen Christmas, Glamor, If I Could Turn Back Time — An Old Fashioned Christmas, and an Italian Feast. This year's themes will be just as varied and wonderful.

Some of the trees are submitted just for display and several will be raffled to let lucky winners take some of the magic home. The majority of the trees will be donated to needy families. The recipients are selected by service agencies such as the Inter-Lakes Christmas Fund, the Moultonborough Santa Fund, Inter-Lakes Community Caregivers, New Beginnings and the Department of Health and Human Services. Approximately 40 families who would not otherwise have a Christmas tree will take home a beautifully decorated fully lit tree.

This year's trees will include "Gingerbread Christmas," "The Holly and the Ivy," and "Owl Be Home for Christmas."

Altrusa will be happy to receive more entrants for the festival to add to the great ones that have already been pledged. Anyone who still wishes to submit a tree to the festival, whether for donation or display, should call Diane at 707-4050. The deadline for filing an application to enter a tree is Nov. 20. Several more families or businesses can have the joy of adding to everyone's holiday delight.

Income from the Festival of trees allows Altrusa, a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, to help agencies such as the Inter-Lakes Christmas Fund and the Moultonborough Santa Fund provide holiday joy for area families as well as funding area food pantries, adult scholarships, and many other projects to build a better community. Learn more about Altrusa at www.altrusameredithnh.org.